Bronchoscopic Excision of Endobronchial Leiomyoma: Evidence for Successful Long-Term Outcome

Pulmonary leiomyomas are rare benign tumours of bronchial smooth muscle origin. They can present either in the lung parenchyma or tracheobronchial tree, with 45% being located endobronchially. Endobronchial leiomyomas typically present with airways symptoms such as dyspnoea, cough, and obstructive pneumonia. Traditionally, endobronchial leiomyomas were managed surgically with lobectomy or pneumonectomy but, increasingly, management has shifted to bronchoscopic resection with different endoscopic techniques described in the case report literature. Most reports include outcomes ranging from 3 to 6 months following bronchoscopic resection. We present a case of a 40-year-old female with a left upper lobe (LUL) leiomyoma who presented with complete LUL collapse consolidation. Bronchoscopic resection was performed using a combination of diathermy snare, cryo-recanalisation, and argon plasma coagulation (APC) which resulted in excellent restoration of the LUL patency. Annual bronchoscopy surveillance over 7 years confirmed durability of the procedure with no recurrence detected.